Our Lady of Mercy parish was established in about 1850 at Debevoise Street between Dekalb Avenue and Fleet Street. In May, 1867 the parish started construction on a new church designed by Patrick Keely ("the architect is, of course, Mr. P.C. Keely, who has designed and built most of the Catholic churches erected in this country and Canada during the past twenty-five years"1). The masons were Mr. Hughes and Mr. Ormond, the carpenters Mr. Case and Mr. Norten and painting was done by J. Herhold. Construction was completed in 1869 and the church was dedicated on February 7 of that year.2
The church's building committee modified Keely's original plans "for some reason", changing "the character of the front of the building from what it was intended to be in the original plan, and the result is by no means an improvement" - a design that is "mixed gothic".3
Debevoise Street used to run between Dekalb Avenue and Fleet Street, and is now part of Flatbush Avenue Extension. The church was located approximately where the Dime Savings Bank Tower now sits.
In 1908 the congregation moved to Schermerhorn Street between Nevins and Bond and the old church was demolished to make way for the construction of the Flatbush Avenue Extension approach to the Manhattan Bridge.4 The Schermerhorn Street edifice would be demolished within 22 years, to make way for the Schermerhorn Street subway construction.
354 Flatbush Avenue Extension
Brooklyn, NY 11201
United States